Breath of the Wildemount
by BlueandBrownEyes
Summary: A hundred years ago there was a legend saying that a cleric and a knight would be able to destroy Uk'otoa. (AKA the Breath of the Wild AU that no one asked for) Critical Role. Fjord/Jester.
1. Chapter 1

There was a soft light in front of him. He tried to reach out and touch it but couldn't find the strength to lift his arms. All he could do was stare. A voice began to call out but he couldn't make out the words. The light began to grow brighter and the voice became clearer.

"Open your eyes…wake up, Fjord."

The voice gave Fjord the strength he needed as he slowly opened his eyes. He found himself in a chamber floating in warm water. As he sat up the water began to drain and became confused. How did he get here? How long has he been here? And whose voice was that?

Fjord stepped out of the chamber, he seemed to be in some kind of cave, and realized that he was only in his undergarments. His other clothes must have been removed before he had been placed in the chamber. He tried to remember how he ended up in this strange place but his mind seemed blank. He swallowed and there lingering sweetness on his tongue that he hadn't noticed before. It didn't take long for his eyes to adjust to the darkness and he saw a strange shape that emitted a dull, gray glow.

"That's the beacon!" the voice spoke again. "You should take it, Fjord. It can help you."

Fjord looked around, trying to find the source of the strange voice but no one else was in the cave. He didn't know why but he trusted this voice. It sounded like they were trying to help him. So he grabbed the beacon and began to look around to see what else he could find. He found some old clothes lying around and a bag to keep the beacon in. It felt like he needed to keep the object safe, even though he wasn't quite sure why. He began to walk towards the entrance of the cave when the voice began to speak again.

"Fjord…you are our only chance…Wildemount needs you. I need you."

Fjord felt a sudden tightness in his chest that he couldn't explain. So he took a deep breath and with the voice guiding him, stepped into the unknown.

As he stepped out of the cave, he covered his eyes to shield them from the sun. He seemed to be in the middle of a forest. Fjord continued walking and realized that he seemed to be in the middle of a valley. He tried to see if he could jog his memory but everything still seemed so foreign to him. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he almost didn't hear another voice speak to him.

"I don't believe I've seen you here before," a woman spoke. She was sitting on the ground next to a small fire. Her body was covered in a cloak and her face was hidden by a hood. "It is a bit strange to see another soul in these parts. What is your name?"

"Uhh…Fjord," he said. That was what the voice in the cave had called him.

"You seem unsure of yourself," the woman said. "Do you not know your own name?"

"It's Fjord." That sounded right. "Who are you?"

"Oh, I'll spare you my life's story. I am just an old woman who has lived here for a very long time."

"Where are we?"

"You ask many questions," she smiled. "Right now we are in a place called the Marrow Valley. It used to be under control of the Dwendalian Empire."

Fjord simply stared at her.

"Or if you want me to be more general, we are in the country that is called Wildemount."

"Wildemount," Fjord repeated. The voice in the cave mentioned Wildemount.

"Hmm," the woman sighed and stood up. Fjord tried to see if he could get a better look at her face but it was still mostly covered by her hood. "Do you see those towers all the way over there?" Fjord turned around so that he could see what she was pointing at. In the distance he could see ruins of what use to be three towers. Only one seemed to be still standing.

"Those towers used to be the Tri-Spire. They were in a city that was called Zadash. That middle tower looks high enough. Go climb that tower and see if things start to make more sense."

"But how will I-" Fjord turned around to speak to the woman, but she and the fire were suddenly gone.

"Hello! Ma'am!" he called out but she seemed to have disappeared. He looked back at the tower. It seemed far away but if this tower would give him answers then he was willing to take the risk.

Fjord continued his walk when he saw a small fire in the distance. He hurried towards it thinking it was the woman from earlier but was shocked when he realized he had stepped into a small goblin camp. Three goblins stared at him for a moment before one launched at him. Fjord managed to duck out of the way but the other two goblins grabbed weapons and ran towards him. Fjord struggled to fight back at first. One of the goblins left a nasty cut on his arm. But Fjord was able to grab an old sword and he swung with a strength that he never knew he had. The blade felt familiar in his hand, like his body knew what to do even though his mind did not. He killed the creatures quickly and attempted to bandage the wound with some of their supplies and he continued towards the Tri-Spire.

When he finally arrived at the tower he was nearly out of breath. But as he reached the top he felt like he could see the whole country from here. He saw a castle in the distance and squinted his eyes. There was a darkness surrounding the castle and Fjord felt his stomach fill with dread. It didn't know what happened but he knew it was something bad.

"You have been sleeping for the past 100 years." It was the voice that he had hear earlier in the cave. "When the beast regains its true power, the world will face its end." Fjord looked closer and saw a large shape coil around the castle. It looked like a giant serpent. "Please hurry, Fjord! Before it's too late!"

Fjord stared at the creature and tried to make sense of what was happening when he heard the old woman speak again and he nearly jumped. Had she been here the whole time? How did she climb the tower so quickly?

"Did anything occur when you climbed up here?" she asked.

"I…heard a voice," he replied.

"Did you recognize this voice?"

"No, I didn't."

"Well, that is unfortunate," she sighed and looked at the castle. "But you did see the atrocity surrounding that castle?"

"Yes, I did see that."

"That monster is called Uk'otoa." She spat. "A hundred years ago that beast destroyed most of Wildemount. That castle is in Rexxentrum, which used to be the capital. It has been able to contain the evil for the past 100 years. But just barely. I don't know how much longer she can fight him."

"She?" Fjord asked.

"My daughter," the woman nearly sobbed. The woman removed her cloak and revealed dark red skin and red hair to match. Her skin was as red as a…ruby.

"The Ruby of the Sea," Fjord said quietly.

"So you do remember me." She said faintly. "I'm sorry I was so secretive in the beginning, But I didn't know how you would react. A hundred years ago there was a legend saying that a cleric and a knight would be able to destroy Uk'otoa. That cleric was my daughter, Jester. And the knight was you Fjord."

"A knight?" Fjord grabbed the side of the wall to keep his balance. This morning he barely even knew his name and now he learns he was a knight who was asleep for a hundred years.

"You were nearly killed by a traitor," she explained. "And Jester brought you to the resurrection chamber to heal you. And then she went to face Uk'otoa on her own."

Fjord watched as tears began to fall down the woman's face. He tried to think of something to say, but there was nothing that he could think of to make her feel better.

"Uk'otoa took everything from me. My home, my daughter, and even my life. I have remained here as a spirit ever since."

"Is Jester the one who has been talking to me?"

"Yes, I believe it is her," she said. "Fjord I have no right to ask you this and I know there's still so much you still don't understand but please, please help her. You're all she has left."

Fjord simply nodded. He felt a sense of duty to this woman and to Jester.

"Thank you," she cried. "If you are going to face Uk'otoa then I would suggest going to Felderwin." She pointed to a path that headed south. "Look for Nott the Brave. She can tell you more of what happened a hundred years ago,"

"Not brave?" Fjord asked.

"No, Nott the Brave. She can explain more than I ever could."

Fjord nodded again and began to climb down the tower.

"Thank you, Fjord," she said again. "Thank you." And just like that she flickered out like a candle.


	2. Chapter 2

It was getting dark by the time Fjord reached Felderwin. He spent most of the walk thinking. Trying to remember anything before he woke up in that cave. But all he could recall was the darkness. He wasn't even sure how he suddenly remembered the Ruby of the Sea. He recognized her once he saw her skin but he couldn't remember anything about her. Or anything about her daughter. He hoped this Nott the Brave would be able to help him.

Felderwin was a small farming town south-east of Zadash. It seemed like they were able to mostly recover from Uk'otoa's attack.

Fjord got a few strange looks when he asked about Nott the Brave, but eventually he was led to a small house at the edge of the village. He knocked slowly and heard a voice from inside.

"Ja, what is it? What do you want?" the door opened and a man with reddish-brown hair stood at the door way. "Fjord? You're alive?"

"I'm sorry I'm looking for-" Fjord began.

"Nott!" the man exclaimed and pulled Fjord inside. "Nott, it worked!"

An old goblin woman walked slowly into the room. She stopped once she saw Fjord and they simply stared at each other before she finally smiled at him.

"So you've finally returned." She said. Her smile faltered once she saw the confused look on his face. "You're looking at me like I am a stranger."

"I'm sorry." Fjord said. It felt like it was the only thing he could say.

"You were right, Caleb." She said. "His memory was wiped when we put him in that chamber."

"At least it didn't kill him," Caleb replied. "His memories could return."

"How much do you know?" Nott asked Fjord.

"Uk'atoa was released and I've been asleep for the past hundred years."

"Alright so not much, then." Nott said.

"There was a prophecy that foretold Uk'otoa's rise and fall." Caleb began. "There were four orbs that had to be released for Uk'otoa to rise to power. The only people who could destroy him were a knight with a master weapon and a cleric."

"It said the knight would pull the weapon from the sea." Nott continued. "And you pulled a falchion when you nearly drowned."

"I almost drowned?" Fjord asked.

"You were very reckless." She replied. "Anyway, you and Jester were preparing to destroy Uk'otoa if he returned while the rest of us were trying to find the orbs and destroy them."

"The rest of us?"

"Me, Caleb, Beau, Yasha, Molly, and Caduceus. But we were betrayed by a man named Sabien."

"He was an old friend of yours. Said he could help us find the orbs and destroy them. But he stole them and ended up releasing that monster." Fjord could hear the sadness and anger in Caleb's voice.

"We tried to fight back but he was too strong," Nott said. "We lost Beau, Molly, Yasha, and Caduceus. We nearly lost you too, Fjord. But Jester, Caleb and I brought you to the resurrection chamber and hoped that we weren't too late to save you."

"Then Jester went to go fight him on her own and we've been trying to find a way to stop him ever since."

"So, both of you are over 100 years old?" Fjord asked. Nott looked like she had lived a long life. But Caleb looked like he was in his 30's.

"Oh right," Caleb said looking a little flustered. "After Jester went to fight Uk'otoa I started looking into different kinds of magic. I wanted to try and see if I could change the past to make sure this never happened in the first place. Unfortunately, the spell seemed to backfire. My body changed but the rest of the world did not. I have been stuck like this for a long time."

"That doesn't matter now. If Fjord is back then we can finally end this."

"How?" Fjord asked.

"Well," Nott began. "First we'll need to find your falchion. Jester said she hid it so that it would not fall into the wrong hands. That's the only weapon that can destroy the orbs. After that, Uko'toa will finally be weak enough to be destroyed once and for all."

"We should go to Trostenwald," Caleb said. "That was where we all first met. That might help bring your memories back."

"Good idea. We'll head there first thing in the morning." Nott said and she offered Fjord a room to stay in for the night.

Fjord felt like his head was spinning. They're was still so much that he didn't know and now all of these people were counting on him to save Wildemount. He didn't know how he was going to find this weapon or destroy these orbs, but he knew he had to try. There was too much at stake now. So he lied down on the bed and fell into a restless sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

_Fjord couldn't breathe. There was seawater was in his nose, his mouth, and his lungs felt like they were on fire. He desperately tried to swim towards the surface but he couldn't tell which way was up. It was too dark to see anything. His chest was burning even more and he reached out trying to grab onto to something, anything to make the pain stop. His fingers brushed something and he grabbed the object as tightly as he could. The object emitted a soft glow and it looked like some kind of weapon. It gave off just enough light for Fjord to find his bearings and he began to swim towards the surface. His hand was just about to break the surface when…_

Thump!

Fjord woke up and found himself lying on the floor with Nott looking down at him.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Nothing," Fjord said a little too quickly.

"Well, here put this on," Nott said as she threw some clothes and armor onto the bed. "It's your old armor."

"Thank you," Fjord said as he looked at the clothes. The parts didn't seem to match. It was as if he had grabbed whatever random pieces of armor he could find.

"We'll be leaving soon," Nott said as she left the room. Fjord put on the clothes as quickly as he could before he grabbed his bag and headed outside to see Nott and Caleb.

"Good, you're up," Caleb said. "I got a cart for the journey. Climb in."

Caleb and Fjord helped Nott into the cart and they headed off towards Trostenwald.

"How long will it take us to get there?" Fjord asked.

"We should be there by afternoon," Caleb replied.

They spent most of the journey in silence. Fjord kept thinking about the dream he had last night. It was so vivid that it felt like he could still taste salt on his tongue. It must have been something that happened in his past. But how did he end up in the middle of the ocean? He wondered if Jester would talk to him again. Maybe she would be able to explain more of what happened. But there was only silence.

"Fjord," Caleb said towards the end of the journey. "Did you find anything while you were in that cave?"

"Uh, yeah I found this," Fjord said as he pulled the beacon out of the bag.

"Good," Caleb sighed with relief. "No one tried to take it."

"What is it?" Fjord asked.

"It has many names. The two most common are the beacon and the dodecahedron. We are not entirely sure how it works but it is powerful."

"Does it do anything?"

"It gives you a fragment of possibility. When you look into it and concentrate, it expands your mind."

"Keep it with you," Nott said. "You never know when you'll need it."

Fjord put the beacon back in the bag. He decided he would deal with this object another time. When he had a better grip on his memories.

The cart pulled into Trostenwald in the afternoon and the three of them began to walk around the town. Nott and Caleb asked if anything looked familiar to Fjord, but he couldn't seem to remember anything about this place. It was another small, rural town and it seemed to be a popular place among traders and merchants. There was also a large lake on the eastern border that Caleb called the Ustaloch.

The three of them walked through the market area and Fjord looked at all of the different shops. There were different clothes, jewelry, and armor for purchase. The smell of cinnamon and honey wafted through the air from a small bakery and Fjord stopped in his tracks. He turned around to get a better look at the bakery.

"_Fjord! Fjord! You have to try this!" Jester ran over to him and nearly shoved a pastry into his mouth._

"_Cinnamon and honey," Fjord said after he took a bite. "Not bad."_

"_My mama use to make these back in Nicodranas," Jester said as she took another bite. "The others are here now so we should probably get going." She grabbed his hand and pulled him back towards the inn. Fjord forgot how strong she was._

_They entered the Nestled Nook and saw the others sitting at a very large table._

"_So," Jester began. "Thank you all for coming,"_

"_Why are we here again?" Beau asked._

"_Because I need your help," Jester said._

"_Our help?" Molly said. "The prophecy says that a cleric and knight will defeat Uko'toa. You two should be able to handle yourselves."_

"_Yes I know, but Caleb found some pretty cool stuff about Uko'toa." Jester said. "Tell them, Caleb."_

"_Ja, right. So after doing some research I discovered Uko'toa will only rise if these orbs are released." Caleb pulled out a book and showed everyone a picture of a yellow orb that almost looked like an eyeball. "If they are destroyed, then Uko'toa is destroyed. If they are released, then…well…bad things happen."_

"_Exactly!" Jester said. "So if we work together to find and destroy the orbs, then we never have to fight Uko'toa."_

"_But why do you want all of us?" Yasha asked._

"_Because we were able to defeat that fiend in the circus pretty easily. We're a good team and Nott and I are really good at solving mysteries."_

"_We are!" Nott exclaimed._

"_So what do you say?"_

"_That sounds nice," Caduceus said as he took a long sip of tea._

"_What do you think, Fjord?"_

"Fjord!"

Fjord felt Caleb shaking him. He blinked hard and realized that he was not in the Nestled Nook but back in the market.

"Are you alright?" Nott asked. "You got real pale and we couldn't get your attention. What happened?"

"I think…" Fjord said. "I think I'm starting to remember."


	4. Chapter 4

"So what did you see?" Nott asked.

"Uh...we were all sitting in an inn and talking about finding the orbs." Fjord rubbed his face, trying to remember all of the details.

"What was the name of the inn?" Caleb asked.

"The Nestled Nook," Fjord replied.

"This-this is good." Caleb said. "This means you're memories are returning. Did anything else happen?"

"Uhh...no," Fjord said quickly. He didn't want to tell them about the memory with Jester. He wanted to keep that to himself.

"Did you see anything about the falchion?" Nott asked. Fjord shook his head. "Well that's not helpful."

The three of them continued walking until they found a quiet place to sit. Caleb pulled out a map and placed it on the ground. Fjord looked and realized it was a map of Wildemount. He also saw four circles that Caleb must have drawn onto the map.

"Now," Caleb began. "When Uko'toa was released he created these four monsters from the orbs. Nott and I were able to track down where the monsters are but we couldn't destroy them."

He pointed to one of the circles on the map. "This one is near Zadash so it would be the closest to us."

"Where is this one?" Fjord asked as he pointed to the circle that was so far east it was barely on the map anymore."

"That is Xhorhas," Caleb said. "Bad place. It's where Yasha was when she...died."

"Is that how the others died?" Fjord asked. Caleb simply nodded.

"They're still there," Nott said. "Their ghosts are still fighting the monsters right now."

"This is why we need to find the falchion," Caleb said as he folded up the map. "So we can destroy the orbs and free them."

"But I don't know where it is," Fjord said. "You said Jester hid it."

"She said the Traveler would protect it and that you would know how to find it," Caleb said.

"Try looking at the beacon," Nott said. "Maybe that will help."

"Just...be careful," Caleb said. "We're not supposed to have it."

"How did we get it then?"

"Long story," Nott replied.

Fjord reached into the bag and slowly pulled out the strange object. He stared at the beacon and it felt like the rest of the world disappeared. He continued to stare into the beacon and all of a sudden he found himself on a ship staring at the horizon. The sea was calm and as blue as the sky. But he could see dark clouds forming far off in the distance. He turned his head to say something but then the image shifted. He was now standing in a city and there was a large sword attached to his back. He tried to reach for it but before he could someone ran into him and they both tumbled to the ground.

"Sorry!" Fjord looked up and saw a blue tiefling practically lying on top of him. She was so close to him that he could count the freckles on her nose. She softly smiled at him before she stood up rather quickly and nearly took off again but she stopped in her tracks. "Wait! Where did you get that sword?"

The image shifted again. Fjord found himself staring at a giant serpent with large yellow eyes. The serpent looked at him for a moment, before he lunged at Fjord.

"_CONSUME_"

Fjord dropped the beacon and the image disappeared. He was back in Trostenwald with Caleb and Nott.

"Did it help?" Nott asked.

"I don't think so," Fjord said as he stood up. "I'm gonna take a walk."

Fjord walked around the small town, trying to make sense of the images he saw. He found himself at the edge of the Ustaloch, staring off into the distance like he was back on the ship.

"Hey, Traveler," he murmured. "Any help?"

"_How did you find it the first time_," a cool voice spoke into his head.

"I...I drowned," Fjord said. "But how does that - oh"

Oh

Fjord stared back at the lake. He had just re-lived drowning the night before. He wasn't sure if he was ready to go through that again.

"_Do you want to defeat the serpent_," the voice said again. "_Do you want to save her_?"

"Of course," Fjord said without any hesitation.

"_Then you know what you must do_."

Fjord took a deep breath and began taking off his armor. He placed them on the ground and stepped into the water. It was freezing and every part of his body was telling him to stop, telling him that this was a terrible idea. But he thought of Jester and her soft smile and that seemed to calm his mind. He continued deeper into the lake until the water was up to his chest. Fjord took another deep breath and lowered himself until he was completely submerged.

The water felt even colder than before. But he pushed on and felt the familiar burning in his lungs. He tried to stay calm but he could feel the panic building up in his body. His vision was starting to go dark and he was about to lose all hope when his fingers brushed something hard. He grabbed it with all the strength he had left and nearly shot out of the water. He was coughing and sputtering, but he was still alive. The sword was encrusted with barnacles and there was a powerful energy radiating from it. As he headed back to shore he saw Caleb and Nott staring back at him. They looked mostly confused as Fjord walked towards them, until they saw what he was holding.

"Now," Fjord said when he reached them. "Let's go kill that son of a bitch."


	5. Chapter 5

"That was a stupid idea," Nott said. They were on the cart heading back to Felderwin and Nott spent most of the time glaring at Fjord.

"I got the falchion," Fjord responded. "Isn't that the whole reason we came here in the first place."

"You could have drowned!" Nott exclaimed. "Again! We've been waiting 100 years for you to heal and then you almost die the second day you're back!"

"It doesn't matter anymore," Caleb interrupted their argument. "We have the weapon so we have to focus on destroying the orbs now." He took the Wildemount map out of his bag and handed it to Fjord. "You know what this means now?" he asked Fjord.

"It means I'm on my own," Fjord nodded.

"Ja," Caleb said.

They were quiet for the rest of the ride. Fjord spent most of his time looking at the map and ignoring Nott's glares. There were four circles drawn onto the map. One was near Zadash. That would probably be the best place to head to first. The other three spots were farther away. There was the one in Xhorhas that Caleb had mentioned earlier. There was one in a forest near a town called Shadycreek Run and the last one was in the Northern Marrow Valley, near a large road called the Glory Run Road.

"Fjord!" Nott yelled and Fjord looked up from the map.

"What?"

"I said do you have a place to stay tonight?"

"No,"

"Alright, you can stay with us in Felderwin tonight before you head off tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, Nott," Fjord said.

"You're welcome," she said softly.

It was starting to get dark by the time they returned to Felderwin. As they ate dinner Fjord asked as many questions as he could. He wanted to remember what happened before he woke up in that cave. Caleb and Nott told him of all the adventures they had while trying to find the orbs. From defeating an evil fiend at a circus to saving a young Kenku in a swamp. The sky was pitch black by the time they finished and decided it was time for bed. Fjord's mind was racing after hearing all these stories but he was finally able to fall asleep.

"_Do you think any of these books will help Caleb?" Jester asked._

"_I don't think so," Fjord responded. "None of them really mention a giant serpent."_

"_I guess you're right," Jester said and closed the book. They walked out of the shop and were heading back to the inn when a familiar voice called out and Fjord froze in his tracks._

"_I didn't think I'd see you here," The voice said. Fjord turned around slowly and saw Sabien staring at him with a smug look on his face._

"_I could say the same thing," Fjord nearly growled as Saiben walked up to him._

"_Hi! I'm Jester!" Jester smiled._

"_Oh you made a friend?" Sabien asked. "How sweet."_

"_What do you want?" Fjord asked._

"_Well I was hearing rumors about a half-orc with a strange weapon and I thought I would do some digging. Turns out I didn't even have to go that far to find you."_

"_He found it in the ocean," Jester said._

"_So I heard-" Sabien began before his eyes locked onto Jester's symbol. "Wait? You're the cleric?"_

"_Umm…yes I am the cleric," Jester said quickly._

"_Oh this just got much more interesting," Sabien smiled. "So you have this special power that will defeat Uko'toa? Can you show me?"_

"_Well…technically," Jester said. "I haven't technically used the power yet."_

"_So you don't know how to use it."_

"_She's working on it," Fjord interjected. How was Sabien here? How did he survive the shipwreck? "Come on Jes, let's get going."_

"_Wait," Sabien said quickly. "I can help you."_

"_How?" Fjord asked._

"_You're looking for the orbs, right?" Sabien said. "I know where they are. I can bring you to them."_

"_Really?" Jester asked._

"_How do you know where they are?" Fjord asked._

"_Vandren told me," Sabien smiled again._

"_He…he what?" Fjord asked. Vandren knew about the orbs too? And why did he tell Sabien about them? "He told you about them?"_

"_What can I say? I guess he trusts me. There's a lot you don't know, Fjord." Sabien said and he crossed his arms across his chest. "So, what do you say?"_

Fjord woke up with a sinking feeling in his stomach. Caleb had mentioned Sabien's name earlier but this was the first time Fjord really remembered him. He looked out the window and saw that the sun was starting to rise. He slowly put his armor on and grabbed the falchion. The weapon felt so familiar to him but there was still so much he didn't know. He also grabbed the beacon and opened the bedroom door. Caleb and Nott were already up and he could feel the tension in the air. If he fails then Wildemount will be destroyed. They had waited 100 years for him. He couldn't fail them now. He tried to give them the beacon but they refuse to take it.

"Take it with you," Nott said. "You never know when you'll need it."

"Good luck," Caleb said. Fjord nodded and headed to the door. He took a deep breath and walked outside, beginning his journey.


End file.
